If anyone’s still visiting this site and/or following the Orioles after that nightmare of a road trip, you’re one of the diehards. There were a few player moves, and they were none too pleasant. On Friday, the team finally bid a lasting farewell to lefty specialist #32 Jamie Walker, who will have plenty of time to hunt now. He was lights-out in 2007, but Sammy Perlozzo and Dave Trembley wore his old arm out and he’s never been the same. You hate to see a personable, plain-spoken guy like Jamie go, but it was time. It remains to be seen if Matt Wieters will take #32 after a brief grace period, or if he’ll stay in #15. What we do know is that Alberto Castillo is back from Norfolk to take Walker’s spot in the bullpen. The southpaw, who wore #23 last summer, has switched to the #24 that was vacated by the abominable Adam Eaton a few weeks ago.
Friday night also saw the hasty departure of #3 Cesar Izturis, who underwent an appendectomy and was placed on the 15-day DL. Today minor league veteran slugger Oscar Salazar showed up to take his spot, and was handed a #26 jersey. He’d worn #19 during a few cups of coffee in Baltimore last year, and donned #16 in Spring Training.
May the next update be under better circumstances…
Tags: 15, 19, 24, 26, 3, 32, orioles news, site updates